Latest news with #MichaeliaCash
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Easy English 30 May 2025
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . The makeup of the Senate for the next federal parliament has been finalised. The Labor Party will have 28 senators in the 76-seat upper house. The Liberal Party-National Party coalition will have 27. One Nation will have four. And independents and other minor parties will have the remaining six. The makeup has been finalised with the count finally having been finished in New South Wales, where One Nation's Warwick Stanley has picked up the last of the six seats up for grabs. His win giving One Nation its fourth Senate seat- their equal-best-ever result in the Senate at a federal election. The federal opposition's newly-installed Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, Michaelia Cash, is urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take up any invitation to visit Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has requested a visit after Mr Albanese sharpened his criticism of Israel this week for its obstruction of humanitarian aid access in Gaza. Ms Cash has urged the Prime Minister to visit as soon as reasonably possible, in order to try and reset the relationship between the countries. She is due to meet Israel's Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, within the next week. It comes ahead of a major summit on Palestinian statehood in New York next month, for which Australia has not yet confirmed a representative. U-S President Donald Trump's tariffs are being blamed for a drop in Australian retail spending. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released the retail trade figures for April, showing a 0.1 per cent fall in turnover. There was a 0.3 per cent rise the previous month. Only Queensland and Western Australia had increases in retail turnover in April. On an annual basis, sales have risen 3.8 per cent in the twelve months to the end of April, as opposed to 4.3 per cent in the twelve months to the end of March. Mr Trump's announcement of U-S tariffs on the 2nd of April shook consumer confidence, and took billions of dollars off superannuation balances after financial markets were rattled. Surveys from Westpac and A-N-Z Bank showed a marked decrease in consumer metrics after Mr Trump's announcement. A 24-year-old woman has been charged after four people were injured in a stabbing in the Gippsland region of Victoria. Police in Bairnsdale, a town 279 kilometres east of Melbourne, allege the woman first stabbed a staff member at a supermarket, then a man in a car park, a man at a nearby hotel and a man at a train station. She has been charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury. All four victims were taken to hospital; the first in a serious condition, and the others treated for minor injuries and released. Investigator Mark Rossiter of Victoria Police says the motivation for the attack is still unclear. Australian Alex de Minaur has joined calls for the men's tennis tour to be shortened after his elimination in the second round of the French Open. De Minaur has fallen from a 2-0 ((two sets to love)) lead to to lose 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. The number nine seed says while it is not an excuse for his defeat here, many players are exhausted from the frenetic pace of the tour, and careers will be shortened as a result if something is not done. Earlier in the week, another of the world's best men's players, Casper Ruud of Norway, likened the men's rankings system to a rat race, saying that it made players feel obliged to play in events, even when injured.
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
'Good opportunity': Opposition says Anthony Albanese should visit Israel
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is being pressured to visit Israel as Australia strengthens its language against the Middle Eastern nation for blocking aid into Gaza. Albanese was publicly invited to visit Israel by President Isaac Herzog after he criticised a blockade of food and medical supplies into Gaza. The new Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said Albanese should take up the invitation and travel as soon as possible, when there were no domestic issues like the NSW flood recovery. Australia has joined a growing chorus of nations strengthening rhetoric against Israel as the death toll in Gaza eclipses 54,000, according to the local health authority. More than two million people face starvation with a lack of basic supplies, and the strip largely reduced to rubble following the nearly 20-month-long war. Aid was stopped to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages after a ceasefire broke down earlier this year. Albanese branded Israel's blockade as unacceptable and said its explanation for blocking aid was "completely untenable and without credibility". "Australia and Israel have always had a very strong relationship, which has deteriorated significantly under the Albanese government since Hamas's terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023," Cash told AAP. "This is a good opportunity for the prime minister to reset the relationship." Cash is set to meet Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon in the next week. Federal Labor president and former treasurer Wayne Swan said he was sure Albanese would consider Herzog's invitation. "But you know, the behaviour of Israel at the moment is pretty outrageous when it comes to the blockage of aid into Gaza," he told Nine's Today Show on Friday. "Now, of course, we've got additional settlements going into the West Bank, so the behaviour of the Israeli government is pretty provocative at the moment. "But I'm sure the prime minister will do everything he can constructively to work with all those involved for a swift end to this conflict." Canada, France and the UK have warned of "further concrete action" if Israel doesn't halt its military campaign and lift aid restrictions. A ceasefire deal brokered by the White House and signed off by Israel has renewed hope. The proposal hasn't been fully detailed publicly and has been submitted to Hamas. It comes ahead of a major international summit, which will debate Palestinian statehood in New York in June. Australia hasn't confirmed who it will send as a representative. Israel has criticised any push for Palestinian statehood as rewarding Hamas' terrorism, a point that has been reiterated by some Jewish groups in Australia as well as the Opposition.
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
Opposition urges Albanese to take up any invitation to visit Israel
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . The federal opposition's newly-installed Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Michaelia Cash is urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take up any invitation by the Israeli President to visit the country. Israeli President Isaac Herzog says he'd like Mr Albanese to visit, after Mr Albanese issued stronger criticism of Israel this week for some of its actions in Gaza pertaining to access for humanitarian aid. Ms Cash says Mr Albanese should visit as soon as reasonably possible, in order to try and reset the relationship between Australia and Israel. Ms Cash is due to meet the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, within the next week. This all comes ahead of a major summit on Palestinian statehood in New York next month, for which Australia has not yet confirmed a representative. Extensive raids have reportedly been conduced by the anti-war crimes agency probing the involvement of ex-Special Air Service soldiers in executions in Afghanistan. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting the raids, which took place in Perth, are considered a major escalation of the Office of the Special Investigator's [[OSI]] almost five-year inquiry into civilian deaths at the hands of Australian soldiers. It's not yet clear if they are connected to the O-S-I's examination of disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says the government has no plans to introduce a sugar tax on certain food and drink to fight obesity. The Public Health Association of Australia has this week called on the government to introduce the tax on high-sugar food and drink, citing support from a survey of 2,800 adults. The Association's President, Caroline Miller, says obesity has overtaken smoking as the number one cause of preventable disease in Australia, and this is a way to combat it, as several other countries have done. She says it's produced successful health results in the United Kingdom, since that country introduced the tax in 2018. Mr Butler has told the Seven Network he agrees that obesity is a serious problem in Australia, but that a sugar tax isn't the way to fight it. "We're focused more on educating shoppers with good front-of-pack labelling about the things they are thinking about buying at the supermarket. There is no plan in our government for a sugar tax. We're instead focusing on education, and also working with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar that they put into their products." King Charles and Queen Camilla have shared a message of concern following the New South Wales Hunter and Mid North Coast floods – the worst since 1978 – which left five people dead. In a statement, the Royals said they were sending special prayers, and the deepest possible sympathy to those mourning. They also expressed admiration for the emergency services, volunteer, and disaster recovery agencies who are now charting the long road to recovery. The New South Wales government has passed legislation banning the use of privately arranged and funded electronic monitoring for people on bail. It comes amid concerns about the ability of the justice system to oversee private providers after private monitoring company BailSafe collapsed without notifying the government. The legislation allows for a three-month transition period where existing private electronic monitoring conditions will continue to apply. During this period, a magistrate or judge will be required to decide whether bail concerns can be addressed through other conditions. People will be remanded in custody if they pose what is considered to be an unacceptable risk. An Australian man has been charged with directing live streamed abuse of five children and an adult in the Philippines, where they have been removed from harm. The 68-year-old Darwin man had been arrested on 3 January when Australian Border Force officers allegedly found child abuse material on his phone. Authorities found video calls from the man to facilitators in the Philippines, telling them to live stream the sexual abuse of children as young as six. Australian investigators referred their findings to relevant authorities in the Philippines where two police operations on April 9 and 23 led to the arrest of two suspected female traffickers. Groups alleging abuse from a dissolved Catholic organisation have called on Pope Leo to make public an investigation launched into its practices. The main leaders of Sodalitium Christian Vitae – a lay group that runs schools and spiritual retirement centres in several South American countries – have been accused of committing sexual abuses against children. Those alleging abuse already have a history with Pope Leo, who while acting as priest and bishop in Peru, heard their cases and took them to Pope Francis. Francis then dissolved the organisation in January [[2025]], after a high level Vatican commission to Peru found sadistic sexual and spiritual abuses and financial mismanagement. Peruvian investigative journalist Paola Ugaz played a role in exposing the group's wrongdoing. She says Pope Leo making the investigation public would be an important step for healing. IN LANGUAGE (Spanish) TRANSLATED: "This is the request they are doing to this Peruvian Pope (Leo XIV), so that the Catholic church and the state finally take responsibility for so much pain caused for over more than 50 years." A Canadian province has declared a state of emergency due to raging wildfires. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says that 17 wildfires are currently active – with 15 communities so far evacuated. He's also warning of deteriorating weather conditions. "It is a very serious situation that we're faced with in Saskatchewan. We do need some rainfall. We need that sooner rather than later. And in light of that not being in the forecast, we most certainly are putting in place every measure possible to prepare our province, prepare our communities and prepare those that live in our northern communities that are threatened by these wildfires in the days ahead." The neighbouring province to the east, Manitoba, has also declared a state of emergency, and is urging thousands of people in the northern and eastern parts of the province to evacuate. Australian Alex de Minaur has joined calls for the men's tennis tour to be shortened after his elimination in the second round of the French Open. De Minaur has fallen from a two sets to love lead to to lose 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. The number nine seed says, while it is not an excuse for his defeat here, many players are exhausted from the frenetic pace of the tour, and careers will be shortened as a result if something is not done. "Once you start, you don't finish until November 24th, right? So it's just never ending. That's the sheer fact of it. And the solution is you shorten it, because what's going to happen is players' careers are going to get shorter and shorter because they're just going to burn out mentally. There's just too much tennis." Earlier in the week, another of the world's best men's players, Casper Ruud of Norway, likened the men's rankings system to a rat race, saying that it made players obligated to feel like they had to play in events, even if they were injured.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Reunited Coalition reveals shadow cabinet; Labor approves contentious North West Shelf extension; and very expensive eggs
Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update. The Liberals and Nationals today reached an agreement to reunite a week after their dramatic split, before the reformed Coalition announced their new shadow ministry. Among the new appointments is Michaelia Cash as shadow foreign affairs minister, Angus Taylor as shadow defence minister and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price effectively demoted to shadow minister for defence industry and defence personnel. Dan Tehan was appointed shadow minister for energy and emissions reduction – with Sussan Ley saying she 'doesn't get hung up on titles' after making no appointment with an explicit responsibility for climate change. Ley did not reappoint former Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume to shadow cabinet but denied that decision was 'vengeance'. Also absent from the new lineup were former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack, both pushed to the backbench. Both Ley and the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, were pressed on last week's dramatic split between the two parties. Ley denied it was a 'bitter breakup' – with Littleproud adding, 'We've risen above that.' Labor approves extension of Woodside's contentious North West Shelf gas development Woodside toxic spill near Ningaloo Reef world heritage area under investigation Fatima Payman reports senior male parliamentary colleague over comments SpaceX Starship breaks up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test Court bid to stop Newington college going coed fails as judge declares term 'youth' is gender neutral Geelong overtakes Sunshine Coast as top tree- and sea-change destination Robotic cats replete with glowing eyes and artificial heartbeats are touring libraries in the Blue Mountains. But this isn't the intro to a new Terminator film: MetaCats are touted as being able to provide comfort and reduce stress – especially for children or people living with anxiety or dementia. 'If we didn't proceed, it would have cost 100 jobs to local residents, but it would have had no impact on Elon Musk.' Despite 95% of submissions opposing a land sale to Tesla – many of whom invoked language deemed too rude for publication – Marion council in South Australia has approved the deal. The mayor, Kris Hanna, stood by the decision, adding that 'Tesla would almost certainly find somewhere else in Australia to build their factory'. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The Australian Bureau of Statistics' monthly figures show inflation has now been flat for three months at 2.4%. But there have been some wild price swings – including on eggs, as bird flu outbreaks led to empty supermarket shelves. Climbers are scaling Everest at record pace, helped by new methods of technology such as xenon gas and hypoxic tents. The situation has triggered alarm in Nepal, where sherpas fear inexperienced climbers, as well as their own traditions, are being put at risk. Today's starter word is: AINE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
West Australian
24-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
WA Federal Liberals Andrew Hastie, Michaelia Cash in push to reunite with Nationals
WA Federal Liberals Andrew Hastie and Michaelia Cash have warned the Nationals that the only way back to government is through a Coalition — not by the conservatives going their separate ways. At the end of a tumultuous week in which Nationals leader David Littleproud refused to continue a long-standing arrangement in Canberra where the Liberals and Nationals had a Coalition agreement — both in opposition and in government — Liberals are hoping for a reconciliation in coming days. 'What I want to see delivered to the Australian people is competent, centre right government,' Mr Hastie, the member for Canning, on Saturday said. 'And the question is: Can the Libs do that on their own? 'No they can't. 'We have to do it as part of a Coalition with the Nats. 'A pre-condition of winning government, is forming a Coalition with the National Party. 'We can't afford to waste resources fighting each other in three-corner contests.' Part of the conditions of Mr Littleproud agreeing to re-enter a Coalition are the Liberals agreeing to adopt policies embracing nuclear power and committing to a $20 billion regional Australia fund. WA Liberal senator Michaelia Cash implored the Nationals to re-enter a Coalition agreement. 'I am a strong coalitionist,' she said. 'It was very disappointing I thought when David Littleproud did walk away from the Coalition. 'I think the work that (Opposition leader) Sussan Ley has undertaken over the past few days to bring us back together has been outstanding. 'We (Liberals and Nationals) are stronger together. 'The enemy is Labor. It's a simple as that.'
